Governance and Adaptation to Innovative Modes of HE Provision (GAIHE)

The future of HE and the place of innovation in the EHEA

ESENESR, Futuroscope, 26 January 2016

Guy HAUG, EHEA Expert, Advisor to the UPValencia

Innovation in the development of the EHEA

An unexpected, key actor: the EU policy initiative, impulse, push, ideas, analises Programmes, with innovative approaches to cooperation and

mobility, and later to system organisation and policies Budget for HE and for Research/Innovation

Structural innovation Organised mobility, integrated programmes, common tools (DS,…) Structure of systems: credits, Bologna structure of degrees Quality assurance agencies and their linkage across the EHEA Qualifications Frameworks (for HE, for LLL)

Innovation in the development of the EHEA

Policy innovations External dimension of the EHEA Funding recommendations (e.g. 3% in R&D, 1% in HE) LLL orientation Integration of all segments of HE systems for LLL

Governance/Management innovations New approaches to system management New approaches to institutional management Strategic planning and implementation Internationalisation strategies

Innovation in the development of the EHEA

→ Innovation as a main driver of the EHEA: At EU level National governments and authorities Institutions Persons

→ Reaches beyond « adaptation », « governance » and the EHEA Room for national, regional, institutional and personal initiatives Not only top-down governance, also bottom-up The building of the EHEA has stimulated reforms in other regions

Innovation challenge: strengthening the EHEA

Post-Bologna phase has begun:

little more convergence expected: unequal understanding and implementation of

change process according to countries, HEIs, disciplines, …

Endless enlargement of EHEA: ever more and increasingly different countries

→ EHEA = inner circle of well integrated countries, + growing outer circle

Economic-financial «crisis» has led to huge divergence between national policies:HE funding, reform of traditional national features of education system,orientation towards LLL and society, etc. - in spite of greater mobilisation ofEuropean Structural and Social Funds

Innovation challenge: strengthening the EHEA

New EU programmes Europe 2020 ERASMUS + as a mammouth programme: geographical and thematic

integration, multi-purpose (internal + external, not only HE), indirect (grants through national intermediaries), massive, with sometimes weakerintegration at host HEI and in local language

Doctoral studies as part of Marie-Curie and ERA: very unequaldevelopment of « Doctoral Schools » and non-traditional doctorates

Decreasing innovativeness in some areas(e.g. double-degrees, accreditation)

Slow further development of new tools(e.g. RPL, evaluation by foreign QA agency, «European» quality seals)

Innovation challenge: global «Quality»

Addressing properly the Digital Revolution

Mainly re-active change in policies and practice, slow adoption of

pro-active change (ex: Open Resources, MOOCs)

Skewed awareness of change implied by Digital Revolution:

- main focus on technological change in teaching material & delivery

- weak awareness of change in learners expectations and needs (maybe

the most crucial and lasting change not yet acknowledged in the EHEA) Adequate QA procedures for the evaluation of digital and mixed learning

are still mostly missing –even more so when for cross-border delivery Change of role of HEIs in teaching / learning: → from transmission of knowledge to certification of competencies→ loss of universities′last monopoly?

Innovation challenge: global «Quality»

Innovation needs for more flexible and relevant learning itineraries

More focus on: - effective learning of KSCs by ever more diverse «learners»

- cost-efficiency of process and results

More flexible itineraries for initial and continuous HE (LLL):

- more diverse access routes, adequate RPL and remedial courses

- bridges with professional/vocational education and with Continuing education

- more diverse learning schemes/methods: blended/reverse teaching, credits for

internships, projects, research, study abroad, languages, non-disciplinary modules

Incentives for and recognition of Quality/Excellence in Teaching:

- through internal QA (teachers, curricula)

- in external QA procedures (need to offset bias in Rankings)

Innovation challenge: internationalisation

Europe again top destination of internationally mobile students (and scholars); yet:

- maybe not for the best reasons

- strong appeal of USA to the very best persons

Several simultaneous lines of change/innovation, diverse responses:- from europeanisation to worldwide internationalisation - from mobility/cooperation to internationalisation of studies and HEI- from cooperation to coopetition or even plain competition- from academic approaches to commercial, business approaches

⟹ divergence between countries in perceived role of HE in migrantscrisis, also leads to unequal resources for HEIs to address it

Innovation challenge: internationalisation

New rationales for internationalisation

Acquisition of international competencies by all learners, not mobility of a few

→ implies innovation in curricula, teaching/learning, staff training, recruitment, governance

Internationalisation as a key factor for differentiation, visibility, attractiveness, competitiveness

→ competition is brought to the courtyard ofall HEIs, both local and global→ enormous room for innovative measures − for global as well as regional / local HEIs

International attractiveness / competitiveness: the EHEA in the international arena

how readable and understandable are the EHEA degree structure and QA system for outsiders?

(quality seals, national agencies, networks, portals)

development of integrated/joint double degree programmes (a major European innovation)

with non-European partners

European (not national) seals in key professional areas: response to US, still weak (except EQUIS)

→ need to further develop EUR-ACE (Engineering), Euro-INF (Informatics), Euro-Chemistry, etc.

Innovation challenge: rankings

Need for innovative responses from European HE systems and institutions

«worst news of last half-century» for European universities as a community ??

unanimously criticised, but used as a reference by governments, students, HEIs

Three main strategic issues:

- possible depreciation of teaching and social role of HEIs vs. research/publication

- highest risk is with undergraduate education, LLL, HE in less favoured regions / populations

- attention (over)focussed on postgraduate level

Divergent responses at European, national and HEI level:

- «excellence» vs. «quality»: specific promotion of national poles of excellence

- merging policies (whole institutions, doctoral schools, resource centres,…)

- U-Multirank

Innovation challenge: governance

Addressing the 3 gaps faced by the majority of European HEIs:

- FUNDING GAP: overall, above all from private sources (LLL, fees, donations,…)

budgetary and financial freedom

- MANAGEMENT GAP: limited experience with strategic and professional approaches

staff management structures: enduring academic and union traditions

low financial incentives

one-model-suits-all structures imposed by national Laws

low, unequal opportunities for administrative staff in EU programmes

- MARKETING GAP: weak institutional identity and loyalty

limited experience with competitive communication, image building,

international recruitment, off-shore campuses, mobilisation of alumni,…

Likely scenario(s) for the next years

Conditions for HE (and Research) will remain divergent in Europe: → innovation is likely to be more national in some countries than European

Outer circle will continue lagging behind inner circle: → neighbourhood policies unlikely to offset differences

Diversification and stratification will increase between and within countries:→ profiling and alliances will be crucial: open, international

competitive leagues of leading research universities are likely to coexistwith various layers of more local HEIs

→ main area for innovation likely to be at postgraduate level,although it is equally needed at degree and subdegree level + LLL

Rankings and Quality Assurance will stay, but will have to change and diversify

Personal observations…

… meant as food for the discussion!

Thank you, Merci, Danke sehr, Muchas gracias